


Practical

by annelea



Series: From One Door To Another [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, House Warming, Weapons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-17 23:27:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10604496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annelea/pseuds/annelea
Summary: Sakura has a new apartment to furnish.  Her parents bring her the first gift.





	

Haruno Mebuki took in the stark white of the place.  White walls.  White window sills.  White crown molding and base boards.  The entry way, kitchen, and bathroom had white linoleum floors, and white carpeting lined the rest of the place.  Even the small balcony was painted white.

"So, yeah, I have my bed and the old couch from grandma's, and a couple new lights, but... where am I going to put all my books, and scrolls, and stuff?  I can't fit all my clothes in the closet..."

Her daughter droned on and on about what kind of things she'd need, like a dresser, a desk, dishes, cook wear, utensils, glasses, and such.  All Mebuki could think about was what colors to paint the walls.  Changing the carpeting was against the rules without prior approval from the office to the tenant directly, but that didn't mean the woman couldn't bring in a few throw rugs to soften up the thin white carpeting already in existence.  Perhaps some decorative tapestries could be hung from the ceiling?  She'd definitely have to change the lighting fixtures.  The originals could be kept in the storage room for the day Sakura might decide to move out.

"Hey, Mom," Sakura's rambling stopped for a moment.  "What's this?"

Mebuki came around the corner of the kitchen area to see what her daughter was looking down at.  It was one big crate that stood just over knee height.  On the top was a sticky note that simply read "from Dad.  Your mother's got everything else under control."

"It's like, five feet long!" Sakura exclaimed, carefully removing the note and re-sticking it to the wall.  "Do you know what's in here?"

"No," Mebuki shook her head, just as curious as Sakura. "Kizashi didn't say anything about this to me.  Open it up!"

The wood may have been nailed down, but such fastenings were no match for Haruno Sakura.  The young woman pried it open as if she were lifting a feather.  Packing peanuts scattered as the two began to excavate the object within.  Mebuki was the first to touch smooth wood stained burgundy.

"If this is what I think it is, it's upside down," Mebuki informed.  "But it certainly won't hurt it."

Determined now, Sakura pulled off the side panel of the crate, reached in and pulled the long object over onto the correct side, ornate carvings facing up, yet protected by glass.  She was startled to see her great-grandfather's nearly ancient coffee table.  At least, he'd told her it was a coffee table.  He had also told her it was carved from one solid piece of cherry wood, but that there was a small compartment at one end that held the pieces that were carefully cut out to place the metal stands which held the glass above the top.

Along the top and around all sides except for the perfectly level and flat bottom, the image of a dragon and a samurai in battle was deeply carved.  Despite being so old, there was no evidence of a single scratch, discoloration, or other modification with the exception of the added glass top.  It looked as if it had been finished just the day before!

"Wow!  Now this will be a wonderful conversation piece!  I thought Dad said he didn't know what happened to this?  How did it survive Pein?"

"This was one of the few things that did survive that day intact," Mebuki answered, then pressed her thumb at a seemingly random spot on one of the longer sides.

Sakura heard a soft click just before her mother tilted the whole top open.  Never once in her life had she any clue that this was anything but a solid, heavy table.  Inside were a multitude of items, all neatly boxed and packed so tightly that it didn't matter that Sakura had rolled it over.  Everything was in its place.

Including the paint cans.

Just the day before, Sakura had thrown out ideas about what colors she wanted to paint which rooms.  Each and every color was present in unopened cans.  Paint rollers, drip trays, brushes, and drop cloths were provided in plain view.

"That rascal!  He knew I wanted to do the painting for you!" Mebuki's eyes lit up in cheer.  "What's in the other boxes at your end?"

Sakura opened the first one she grabbed.  "A whetstone?"  She continued.  Next came a variety of hunting and fishing knives.  Next was a very old set of kunai.  Next were small throwing axes.  Next were tonfa.  Then came a _tachi_ sword.  Sakura knew what kind it was based on it's length of about thirty inches of sharpened blade and the curve and taper of the whole thing.  At the very bottom was a specially wrapped package.

Inside, the women found an empty picture frame and an album full of Sakura's childhood photos.

Sakura was crying and she didn't even know it.  Each and every one of the items inside were used, old, and priceless in different ways.  Everything that was left of her family's history was contained in this long, awkward, ornate, chest, and it wasn't much.  Yet, her father had filled it with items to brighten the future of her new home to take up the extra space.  Soon, she would be able to fill it with more precious items to pass on to the next generation of Haruno, whenever that might happen.

"I remember your great-grandfather telling your father that he had received this chest as a gift from the Lord of the Land of Iron.  These weapons... they come from my side.  My grandmother told me a story once of how they were used in a war ages ago against an evil queen.  It is said, this chest was carved from a tree in the battle field."

"What?" Sakura perked up, interested now.  She was curious enough to check the wood over again, this time with probing chakra.  The wood absorbed her chakra.

The freaking chest stored chakra?

Startled, but even more determined now, Sakura pulled back all her chakra from her hand and then touched the wood again.  Several different chakra signatures and types reached back out to her, along with her own.

Could it really be?

"Mom, is there any documentation on this chest?  Anything at all?"

"I just barely remember what I told you.  Why?"

"It's got a lot more secrets."

**Author's Note:**

> This may turn out to be a collection/series of short stories, drabbles, and the like the way Lightning Struck Cherry Tree originally was. I will post them in no particular order, but intend to bring them together into a series grouping. From there, they will be put into chronological order.
> 
> Obviously, this one is just a toe into the water. It will get darker in other parts, and lighter in more.


End file.
